How much has marriage changed things?Every day at 4 pm my cook calls up to know what to cook. I’ve never had to do that all my life. I’ve never had to think what sabzi, dal to eat with roti or rice. I just duck the call. It’s something I’m still not used to. When I am away, I am curious to know how things are at home. Siddharth is meticulous, so I don’t bother about the house being in good condition or not. But he always tells me handle only what you can within your bandwidth. That’s a comforting thought.

Living together is another ballgame. There are times when after a shoot, you just want to go back home and sleep. He may think otherwise and want to go out on our weekend holiday. You have to drag yourself out then. Before marriage, at least, you could use the excuse that you have to spend time with your parents. I can’t do that anymore. But that’s the fun of it. After marriage, we’ve also been apart that much more, globe-trotting few times a month. Earlier, I didn’t know what it would be like to live by myself when he wouldn’t be around. But I’ve learnt that now.

Tell us something about your in-laws…Because we don’t live in a joint family, we don’t come in each other’s spaces. I’ve gained a family and so has he. My father-in-law is the most accepting person. They say a girl always looks for her father in her man. I’ll add that I’ve got that even in my father-in-law. My mother-in-law is a professional, she’s encouraging and enthusiastic. In a joint family, when you share the same space or kitchen, it can become contentious. But there’s no scope for that with us.

Did the fact that you are in a relationship ever mark your choices? I wouldn’t like to limit myself in any way. I was and will always be an actor. I’m grateful to God that I’ve got a partner who understands that. I did The Dirty Picture after Siddharth and I got together.Did your relationship contribute to your uninhibited take?Siddharth accepts me the way I am. In the first few months of marriage, I got bogged down by the notion that I had to juggle between handling home duties and starting work on a new film. He explained I needn’t be a superwoman. He understands that if he could go out to work and end up neglecting things at home, so could I.So your pillow-talk is about cinema?(Laughs) No, never. Though, we’re both passionate about films. With him I’ve begun watching cinema all over again. Until I joined films, I used to watch one film a day. That changed once I joined films. Siddharth loves the magic of the theatres. I see a child in him when he’s talking or watching cinema. If you need a movie companion even in the morning, he’ll be by your side.

Do you think that The Dirty Picture was a commoditisation of women?I believe The Dirty Picture did the reverse. My character Silk showed how she was used and made it her big ticket. But once the use of her body is over, there was no use of her. That was a bigger take away from the film. We have baggage and history as a nation that defines us. But attitudes are changing for the better. We have to realise what’s acceptable and what’s not. Women need to learn to value themselves. But that has to be inculcated in men as much as women. Girls get into compromising situations without realising they’re being used or abused.

Were you uncomfortable playing a bold character?The Dirty Picture was so dramatically different from the person I am. I knew Milan Luthria made a bold decision to come to me with the role. I thought he was repenting it. But like a chant he’d keep telling me, ‘No preparation, only liberation’. Then one day he told me about this woman who had an insatiable appetite for men. But she got miserably heartbroken once and decided to use men henceforth only for her need. He’d tell me these random things and disappear. Then finally one day he asked me not to be judgmental about her and to respect her. Only then would others respect her, love her and accept her. His mantra got etched in stone after the success of the film. Think of it, if someone feels shy about standing naked on the street, an element of sleaziness comes into play. But if that person walks naked with her head held high, everyone will appreciate it. We started our shoot with Ooh la la. If there were any bodily inhibitions, I got rid of it. Choreographer Pony Verma kept asking for more while the camera kept focussing on my cleavage, navel and butt.

What about your conservative family background? Was your family comfortable with you doing the film?I would choose the word traditional over conservative. Being traditional is a choice for me. South Indian families bring up their children with a sense of freedom, self-respect and self-value. We do whatever we have to with earnestness and honesty including being uninhibited. Yet we hold onto our roots. I take pride in the fact that I am a middle-class traditional Palakkad Iyer Tam-Bram girl, born and brought up in Mumbai.

The biggest actresses in India have been South Indian. Vyjayanthimala, Hema Malini, Rekha, Sridevi, Jaya Prada, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan… They’ve all been liberated on screen and off it. I say this with reverence, is there a crazier actress than Sridevi on screen? No. When the camera comes alive I wonder what happens to her. I’d love to assist in a film that Sridevi is acting in. She has lead life on her own terms and yet commands so much respect. And South Indian women and their sexuality, my God! We’re all feminine beings.After serious films, you moved on to Ghanchakkar and Shaadi Ke Side Effects. Is it a picnic from your heavy duty roles?Ghanchakkar was my first comedy. Raj Kumar Gupta wanted me to play a role in his first comedy too. I chose not to read the script too many times. Raj wanted me to act spontaneously.